title: Blood plasma levels of microelements in patients with history of optic neuritis.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To determine the concentration of microelements in the blood of patients with a history of retrobulbar optic neuritis (ON).
  
  
  METHODS
  We examined 36 patients (18-63 years of age) - 11 with demyelinating ON (Group 1) and 25 with isolated ON (Group 2) - all of whom had been treated for retrobulbar ON. The control group comprised 38 healthy volunteers. Using atomic absorption spectroscopy, blood levels of zinc (Zn), iron (Fe), copper (Cu) and cadmium (Cd) were evaluated.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Compared with the control group, concentrations of Cd were elevated in Groups 1 and 2 (p = 0.003 and p = 0.003, respectively); Group 1 had higher levels of Cu (p = 0.02). Patients from both groups had significantly lower levels of Fe (p = 0.0003) compared with controls. No difference in the concentration of any of the microelements was found between Groups 1 and 2.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Disturbances in Cd, Cu and Fe homeostasis may be associated with the inflammatory process of ON.
authors.affiliation: Department of Ophthalmology .
authors.forename: Karolina
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Kaźmierczak
authors.forename: Grażyna
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Malukiewicz
authors.forename: Hanna
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Lesiewska-Junk
authors.forename: Adriana
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Laudencka
authors.forename: Małgorzata
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Szady-Grad
authors.forename: Jacek
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Klawe
authors.forename: Krzysztof
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Nowicki
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D002104:Cadmium / Q000032:analysis / Q000097:blood; D003300:Copper / Q000032:analysis / Q000097:blood; D003711:Demyelinating Diseases / Q000097:blood; D005260:Female; D006706:Homeostasis / Q000502:physiology*; D006801:Humans; D007501:Iron / Q000032:analysis / Q000097:blood; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009902:Optic Neuritis / Q000097:blood*; D013054:Spectrophotometry, Atomic; D014131:Trace Elements / Q000032:analysis / Q000097:blood*; D055815:Young Adult; D015032:Zinc / Q000032:analysis / Q000097:blood
chemical_list: D014131:Trace Elements; D002104:Cadmium; D003300:Copper; D007501:Iron; D015032:Zinc